Phunfernikle

"Aren't we there yet? Emaline practically begged, running her fingers through the clouds that had strayed from their flocks to greet the ribbon of color they were flying on. They were so pretty, hues and tints of colors, Emaline embarrassed she had forgotten their names.

Raeshel sat silently in front of her, holding down the unicorn's mane in annoyance. Yup, as soon as I get the chance, this thing is getting cut off....

"No, not quite yet." For the fourth time the leprechaun answered her, gliding along side the galloping stallion. Raeshel glance back at her friend who had a slight pout to her features as she made shapes in the little pools of color that formed around her. the bright red hair suddenly swarming around her as if they were in water. Raeshel then glanced at her hair, the light, reddish-brown stands that floated in the air. Dull, lifeless, completely boring.... Raeshel's eyes suddenly darted back again to the deep red curls behind her lustily...

Emaline's eyes fluttered upward, whole body jolting upright almost knocking Raeshel off in surprise. Her eyes lit up with wonder.

"Raeshel! Oh wow! Just look at that! Do you see it? Do you?!" Raeshel had no need to follow her eyes towards the breath-taking scene. And they though the rainbow was the most colorful thing they would ever see. Both girls marveled at how they could have been that wrong.

"Whoa." Raeshel breathed, eyes as wide as Emaline's. Both failed to notice their company's short muffled laughter and stares.

"Is-is that- is that fun-funickle..... um-" Raeshel stuttered, unable to bring about any other thought than the immense diversity before her eyes. The sight that was painted so beautifully- Emaline grabbed Raeshel's hand with excitement, squeezing it on and off like she was making a pulse to keep her heart from stopping.

The clouds had parted and released a vast array of colors that seemed beyond any spectrum. The sight was far away, but what a sight it was. Tall buildings and deep forests, and beyond that horizon a huge glistening ocean, even though that at this point they couldn't make out any fine details, everything was more than they had ever laid their eyes on. Raeshel, against her will, had to look down at the rainbow itself for a second or two, to calm her nerves. Climbing trees, fine. Galloping on top of a rainbow in the cloud cover, whatever! But now- they were extremely high. Too high. Way- way too high....

Quite ironically, the leprechaun yawned, all excitement drained, even his eyes somewhat sagged when they sleepily peered onto the sight and he lazily answered, correcting Raeshel's question and then answering it. "Is that Phunfernickle? Ye be the very thing, lassie."

Even though the leprechaun had died down with the laughter, the unicorn stilled giggled and at some points laughed so loud it shook the rainbow itself. Raeshel's hand flew to her temple, rubbing softly while she continued clinging onto the unicorn's mane for fear of falling, it being the only thing she could wrap her fingers in so she could balance. Maybe- this thing- was useful after all.....

"That! That one right there! I think it's name is green!" Emaline shouted with delight as, for the first time, she was tickled pink. She pointed at random colors, shouting out their names as she knew them.

"No!" The stallion laughed, as cheery as Emaline. "That's yellow!"

"And that one! That one is violet! OH! how pretty it is! Violet! I think that one is my favorite!" She squealed, liking the feeling of it on her tongue, loving the feeling they all found their place in her once horribly incorrect, gray and dull imagination. How this opened up so much more for her! for them both, Raeshel trying her best to keep up.

"No, no. That's blue dear!" he laughed, keeping up with the energetic girl with ease.

"That one! That's orange, right? Orange?"

"Heh heh! That one is Violet." She kept up with this as they kept on gliding across the sparkling masterpiece below them. Raeshel groaned as she realized after minutes that it seemed like they were getting nowhere. The thing went on forever outwards, but still they didn't even make any progress below them when she dared to look. They weren't moving AT ALL!

"When does this ride end?" Raeshel moaned into the unicorn's ear, he smirked wickedly.

"Ha! What's wrong with you Little Miss I-Know-Everything? Afraid of heights?" The jerk neighed with delight, stopping in his tracks, rearing upwards as he laughed. Both girls screamed, but Emaline's was out of entertainment as Raeshel had been out of fear. When he touched back down to the rainbow he purposely slowed his speed so the air could sink into Raeshel's head and show just how high they were. Emaline kicked the side's of the stallion deliberately, glaring at him when he turned around to whine about it. He scowled right back and broke the gaze after she did, mumbling as he turned away. "Fine, I'll hurry up."

Giving it up and letting it go, he went right on laughing with Emaline, retuning to their game.

Thank you. Raeshel whispered in her head, thanking the jerk for speeding their ride along and thanking her friend who was looking out for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and listened to Emaline who was absorbed once again in her amazement.

"And that one! Oh! Yellow, isn't that what you called it? So pretty, Raeshel! Do you see it?"

Raeshel weakly nodded, eyes still locked up tight. The unicorn whinnied, laughing even harder.

"No, no, no! That one is pink!"

"Oh- .... look! Such a pretty shade of blue!" she pointed almost randomly once more.

"No! Still pink!"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I knew that!"

It took awhile for them to get down to a more comfortable height, and eventually, Emaline was able to pull Raeshel's hand's from her eyes, acting like nothing had been wrong with her in the first place.

They could make things out now, which filled them with new excitement all over again. Emaline and Raeshel became giddy, not being able to wait until the were safely on the ground. The vigorous red-head pointing and shouting and begging for some one to explain all of the things she saw, and always she was met with a "Just be patient, lassie, ye be plenty 'o time for that later!" or "Calm down or I'll turn right back around, missy! I MEAN IT!" But of course none of the threats were acknowledged and everything went about as it did. But something, something wasn't right

Raeshel had noticed it- something, quite odd...

All the people seemed to be rushed, or- searching for something. As they came even closer to the colorful streets washed in possibly gold and all of the multicolored building surrounding a castle that, when it came sliding into view, falling out from behind so many banners and streams of rainbows bouncing off of every possible drop of water in the air, it silenced the girls with awe.

Finally they touched ground, Raeshel ever happy to jump off of her terrifying ride, Emaline followed after her at her heels, 'ooing' and 'ahhing' at every detail. And as Emaline took every chance she could drooling over the scenery and pushing the unicorn's and leprechaun's patience even more, Raeshel stopped in the middle of the glinting street, watching as the whole city grow antsy, searching.....

"They look hilarious!" Emaline busted into laughter, like the whole town was a show. But it was true, they were dressed outrageously, large puffy outfits with feathers and gems that rattled and bobbed up and down as they went. Some were even wearing these huge, overstuffed and frilly dresses, including the men- and their hair, absolutely over-the-top.

Raeshel would have laughed along with the others, if she hadn't felt the air around her, the whole place's anxiety.

"They're looking for something..." Raeshel whispered loud enough to get the gang's attention. They suddenly looked around more closely too, realizing how excited the people where.

"Oh dear...." The leprechaun suddenly took off his hat and wringed it in his hands as he suddenly became wired himself, looking around hastily.

"Yup. It looks as though hes done it again." The stallion sighed heavily, shaking his mane as he looked around weary and unamused. "Well! we better go look for him then."

"What? Look for who?" Raeshel turned around and questioned the two, who just looked at each other and started off in the opposite direction of the two girls, wickedly smiling to themselves as they walked away.

"Why, for the King of course!"